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 Green Star Technical Clarification Rulings

Technical Clarifications for Green Star represent our answers to Technical Questions submitted by projects, and provide further guidance and reference to others. The list is regularly updated.  

There are two types of Technical Clarifications listed in the table below:

General Clarifications

These are extensions to the guidance provided in the Submission Guidelines. They clarify and sometimes supersede the original Credit Criteria or 
Compliance Requirements. General Clarifications set precedent for future project teams to follow. Should a project team wish to apply a general clarification to its project, there is no requirement for further Technical Questions to be submitted. NZGBC Assessors will also use them as precedents to assess submissions.

Project Specific Clarifications

These are published as references for other projects but, unlike General Clarifications, they do not set precedent. They often relate to special 
situations where multiple prerequisites exist for a particular project and are less likely to reoccur to another project. Therefore, rulings set for Project Specific Clarifications are often conditional and will likely vary for other projects. Each project still needs to submit its own Technical Questions and provides evidence relating to its own building in order to have a similar ruling approved for that specific building. 

Should you wish to apply any Technical Clarification for legacy rating tools to your projects, please submit a Technical Question to the NZGBC to 
explain why and how it applies. You can access the online Technical Question form here

Technical Question Title Tool Version Date Released Credit Name Sub-credit Name TC Link
Assumed solar reflectance index (SRI) values Green Star Buildings NZ November 2025 19 - Heat Resilience
Approved Ruling:

Projects may demonstrate compliance with the 'Heat Resilience' credit from Green Star Buildings by using assumed Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) values determined through SRI testing of product samples.

Assumed SRI values may be determined by plotting the tested SRI values against the product's Luminous Reflectance Value (LRV). The project may then calculate the assumed SRI value of other products in the product range through linearly interpolating what the SRI value of the product would be based on the product's LRV value.

When calculating assumed values, the following requirements must be met:

  • The product must be from the same product range and have the same base material as the SRI tests used for interpolation.
  • At least 3 products from the product range must be tested. Where possible, an appropriate range of products shall be tested in order to capture the SRI values across the product range (e.g., test the lightest and the darkest product)
  • Assumed values will need to add a 10% uncertainty factor in order to take a conservative figure. i.e., multiply the assumed SRI value by 0.9.

Recommended documentation:

  • Evidence of the SRI tests/test values
  • Evidence of the calculation of the assumed SRI values, with supporting explanation and justifications

Alternatively, the following materials can be assumed to have a three-year SRI >34:

  • White cement concrete (this does not include decorative concretes with exposed aggregates)
  • White paint